AI Damage2016 Ford Fiesta: common problems
Owners of the 2016 Ford Fiesta filed 179 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and engine. The maker issued 72 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 179
- involving a crash
- 10
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 72
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 56% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 19% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 15% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel/propulsion system 6% of all complaints
- 5 Vehicle speed control 6% of all complaints
- 6 Structure 4% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 4% of all complaints
- 8 Seat belts 3% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 101 complaints (56% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 16.
- Engine: 34 complaints (19% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 8.
- Electrical system: 26 complaints (15% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 29.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 11 complaints (6% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 11 complaints (6% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1 L · petrol · turbo · 3 cylnamed in 2 complaints
- 1.6 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 1.6 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
- dual-clutch (DCT), 6-speednamed in 4 complaints
- manual, 5-speednamed in 6 complaints
- manual, 6-speednamed in 6 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 179 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 101 | 5 | 16 |
| Engine | 34 | 0 | 8 |
| Electrical system | 26 | 0 | 29 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 11 | 3 | 0 |
| Structure | 8 | 1 | 3 |
| Steering | 7 | 1 | 2 |
| Seat belts | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| Wheels | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The 2016 ford fiesta seatbelt does not retract properly and the seatbelt hang to the driver seat while the seatbelt metal buckle pointing up and the driver could sat to it and injured the back ribs of the driver just like how I injured my self because of lack of warnings from owners' manual from ford motor that these…
The front driver's side air bag and the passengers' side air bags failed to deploy. The driver's knee air bag deployed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's girlfriend sustained neck injuries and leg injuries and was transported to the hospital by emergency units.
My Ford fiesta suddenly exploded the seat's ventilation and my seatbelts tore off, so i crashed into a semi at the speed of 191 km/h
The airbags never deployed. I sustained a broken neck by hyper extending my neck over the steering wheel.
Vehicle has random sudden loss of acceleration while in motion, lurches ahead randomly, shudders and shakes when changing gears, causing loss of control in various moving situations. This happens regularly in all driving conditions
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 ford fiesta. While driving approximately 5 mph, the vehicle accelerated spontaneously and struck a tree. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was not diagnosed by the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified. The vehicle was not repaired.
I am reporting a severe safety defect regarding a sudden loss of motive power caused by the internal oil pump drive 'wet belt' system on my 2016 Ford Fiesta SE 1.0L EcoBoost (Manual Transmission). While driving, the vehicle's engine oil pressure warning light illuminated.
Vehicle has stalled in traffic multiple times, cannot complete shifts due to clutch pedal sticking to floor. Inability to properly operate transmission as expected per mileage with a manual vehicle is a safet
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 369 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 18% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Fiesta has 98 complaints (4 years in the data). This year has 179, above average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- Customer Satisfaction Program 26L02 Certain 2014-2021 Model Year Various Vehicles 1.0L Fox Classic Engine…
Customer Satisfaction Program 26L02 Certain 2014-2021 Model Year Various Vehicles 1.0L Fox Classic Engine Timing Belt and Oil Pump Belt Interval Change
- Advance Notice – Customer Satisfaction Program 25N17 Certain 2015-2025 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines…
Advance Notice – Customer Satisfaction Program 25N17 Certain 2015-2025 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines Rear View Camera Replacement If Required After Dealer Evaluation
- Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless…
Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated…
- This article supersedes TSB 24-2165 to update the TSB Service Procedure
Some vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit various SYNC performance related concerns including but not limited to: Display operation concerns Navigation inoperative Voice recognition concerns …
- Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes…
Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. Pinpoint test HK in…
- This article supersedes TSB 21-2175 to update the TSB Service Procedure
Some 2016 MKS, 2016-2017 Navigator, 2016-2018 F-150/Focus/C-MAX/Edge/Fiesta/MKX/Transit Connect/Mustang, 2017-2018 Continental/Fusion/MKZ, 2017-2019 Explorer, 2016-2019…
- All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code
If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the vehicles owner during initial delivery. Unlike the integrated (wired) factory keypad, the accessory…
- For 2015-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines and customer concern of an…
For 2015-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines and customer concern of an engine oil leak, refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 303-00 for oil leak inspection and testing methods. Ford…
- For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely…
For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recommended. It is also not recommended to order a replacement module using a…
- Some 2016-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with SYNC 3 may exhibit a condition where the navigation…
Some 2016-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with SYNC 3 may exhibit a condition where the navigation voice prompts are inoperative after a SYNC map update. This may be due to an incomplete installation of the…
- DPS6 - no satart and/or transmission engagement or loss of power with DTCS u0100, U00101, U1013, U3003…
- Online automotive service information system for March 2016
NHTSA lists 72 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Ford Fiesta?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, engine, electrical system. Total complaints: 179. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (19%), stalls while driving (14%), jerking, harsh shifts (13%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2016 Ford Fiesta?
NHTSA lists 72 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2016 Ford Fiesta from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2016 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.